would you care to define "off-thread" in a way that would make sense in AWAD terms?

Hmmm, I think this is a similar problem to that of defining when a creature has evolved into a different species.
Or better:
If you start with a caterpillar and end up with a butterfly (or more likely, a whole - errr - sprocketpool of them) does the butterfly contain the caterpillar?

Does it matter?

Mutant fish with cycling abilities